Chronicles of Mercury
by StrangelyIncoherent
Summary: Isabelle Floyd is the result of an affair Howard Stark had with a fellow colleague. Now, years later, she is a grown woman, the Chief Engineer at Stark Industries and working as an agent in SHIELD under the code name of Mercury. But one day, Fury leaves a stranded and confused blue-eyed man under her wing. She can't deny her feelings for Rogers, and he certainly can't deny his.
1. Prologue

**3:00 PM, July 6th 1988, Stark Mansion, CA**

The sound of the doorbell ran through the living room of the mansion. Edwin Jarvis, the butler, ran to the door to open it, as usual. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted, opening the door to reveal a young woman dressed in a blue summer dress, carrying in her arms a baby dressed in a little pink dress, asleep on her shoulder. The woman had dark circles under her eyes, terribly pale skin and a skinny body from malnutrition and sleep deprivation. She appeared to be nervous as her body was trembling. The black-haired woman looked up to the butler.

"Stark." The woman ordered before Edwin could mutter any words.

"I need him." She continued.

"And why would you need him? Does Mr. Stark know you?" He said.

"He knew my sister, Jocelyn Floyd." She said, her voice failing at every word. Edwin stood silent.

"I need him. Just to talk to him. Please." She pleaded. The butler sighed and opened widely the door to let the woman pass. The woman took slow steps, as if she were afraid something would happen if she stepped in the wrong place.

"Sit on the sofa over there, Mr. Stark will tend to you in a minute." She nodded and walked with the baby to the black leather couch and sat, relaxing her muscles to the comfort of the sofa. Edwin turned over to walk away to get Howard, but stopped in his tracks and turned to the woman.

"Excuse me, miss. Do you mind telling me your name?"

"My name is Jessica. Tell him I'm on behalf of Jocelyn and he'll understand."

* * *

Howard Stark shifted under his seat, being almost three hours without moving made his hips hurt. He needed to stand up. _Yes, that seems like a good idea. Getting up and drinking a nice glass of iced scotch. That seems tentative, _Howard thought. Howard dropped the papers he was holding on his hand onto the wooden table and took a deep breath. He got up of his seat and walked over to the mini fridge he had on his office, opening it and taking out the bottle of scotch. He placed the bottle on a table nearby and opened a cabinet over the fridge, taking out a mid-sized glass. He took the bottle and poured the drink, placing the bottle in the mini fridge afterwards and taking a sip as he shut the door.

It was almost a second after he drank the whole glass of scotch that Howard realized he had forgot to put ice on the scotch. He slapped his hand on his forehead before belting out, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

He heard a knock on the door then. Howard placed the now empty glass of scotch on the table and opened the door to reveal his butler.

"Sir, there is a woman in the living room looking for you."

"Name?"

"Jessica."

"I don't know her. Tell her to go away." Howard commanded immediately.

"But Sir, she said she is on the behalf of her sister Jocelyn Floyd, she said you'd understand." Howard's eyes widened at the sudden memory of her. He stepped forward and Jarvis led the way to the living room. He met the gaze of Jessica as soon as he entered the room and she stood up with the baby in her arms. Edwin turned away and left, to let them talk.

"Howard I-"

"How do you know Jocelyn and why are you here?" He interrupted.

"Jocelyn was my sister!" She exclaimed and the baby broke out of her sleep and started crying. Jessica then widened her eyes and started shushing the baby.

"Was? I don't get it." Howard was confused.

"She died."

"She died?" Howard stuttered.

"About a week ago." Jessica confirmed in between the baby's cries. Howard sighed.

"And the baby? Is it yours?" He asked.

"It's yours." She replied. Howard's eyes widened and his breathing became heavier, he couldn't actually believe it, at the age he had, he only planned to have one kid, which was Tony. But another child? How would Maria take this? How would Tony take this? He couldn't process it in his head. Besides he was sure he had used protection when he spent the night with Jocelyn.

"It was on Jocelyn's will that the baby would be taken to you. She was at least sure that you would be able to give her a better life. If she were to stay with me, I'm not sure how she would end up. Look at me, I'm a broke artist. You are a millionaire." She explained. The baby had stopped crying and was now playing with her aunt's hair.

"I guess you're right." Howard sighed. "How old is the baby?"

"She is about to turn three."

"Can I hold her?" Howard asked nervously. Jessica nodded and put the baby in Howard's waiting arms. Howard noticed how the baby had his chocolate eyes and curly brown hair, as opposed to Jocelyn' black hair and blue eyes. The baby looked up to her father and examined the new face in front of her. She raised a tiny hand and placed it in her father's hair, repeatedly stroking his curls. Howard felt amazed at how the little girl had little to no resemblance with her mother.

"Look, sweetie, meet your daddy." Jessica cooed from behind. The baby let out a giggle.

"Has she said her first words yet?" Howard asked.

"Only three words. Her first word was "bird". We were in the backyard when she saw one. She was so surprised she started yelling it was a bird." Jessica explained.

"And the other two words?"

"Umm… Mamma and Jess." She said. Howard was amused.

"She's really pretty." Howard whispered.

"She looks like you." Jessica said.

"I noticed that."

"You know? I am really stupid; I never asked her name." Howard confessed.

"Her full name is Isabelle Jocelyn Floyd."


	2. Boxes

**1991**

Isabelle stared confusedly at the strange wooden boxes in front of her. At the age of 5, she didn't exactly know why she was there, or why she was dressed in black, or why was her brother staring at the boxes as if they were the most horrific thing in the universe. She was smart, yes, even a little advanced for her age, but there were things even a small child like her couldn't comprehend.

For instance, why were tons of people dressed in black and crying?

Why were her father and her step-mom asleep in those boxes?

And why exactly were the boxes _closed?_

She then decided to slip out of her seat, and take small steps from the front row of seats of the chapel, walking to her older brother, who was talking to a woman dressed in white, her hair a strange combination between ginger and blonde. She looked weary and tired, failing to conceal her dark circles with her make-up; she also looked differently at Tony, as if she was hypnotized by him. Isabelle pulled from her brother's black suit jacket and, as if on cue, both her brother and the woman looked at the child.

"Tony," She called weakly, as if unsure to break the thick silence, "Why are mom and dad in those boxes? Are they hiding?"

Tony sighed and looked at the woman, dismissing her presence, and the woman left immediately. He crouched until he was at eye level with his sister and hugged her tightly.

"Mom and Dad are gone, Izzy. They won't be back."

"What do you mean? They are there. In the boxes." She pointed at them. Tony didn't bother to look at them; it was painful just to think of it. He sighed again.

"No they are not. Izzy," He put his large hands on her small shoulders, "I know you don't get it, but our parents are gone. They vanished, just like that. Mom and Dad died in a car crash. What you see in those 'boxes' is their bodies."

Isabelle wouldn't understand, "Died? What do you mean, Tony?"

Tony sighed for the third time; definitely, trying to explain something as easy as death to a child wasn't as simple as he thought. "When you die you stop existing. And Mom and Dad won't come back because they don't exist anymore."

Isabelle finally seemed to understand it in Tony's eyes. Her confused expression faded to a pained one, but no tears came, just sadness invading her infant body.

"Izzy, are you okay?" Tony asked, Isabelle nodded and raised her arms, something she did every time she wanted Tony to lift her. Tony grabbed her and raised her; she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, pressing her head against his shoulder. Tony started walking towards the chapel doors muttering a goodbye for the woman, a row of paparazzi, cameramen and reporters waiting outside.

"I guess it's just you and I now, sis." Tony said, pushing open the doors of the chapel and walking into the sea of camera flashes and microphones.

* * *

**2002**

"…Did you get it?" Tony asked his sister, now 16 years old. Isabelle nodded at him, looking at the exercise her brother explained. Tony discovered that Izzy, at the young age of 9, had a knack for mathematics, physics and engineering, and has been home-schooling her himself to exploit her talent, and even she liked the idea of being home-schooled by Tony.

"I think that would be enough for today; or a week." Izzy said. Tony chuckled, slipping out of his chair and leaving for the kitchen. Izzy closed the notebook and put her pen on top of it; she slipped out of her seat and followed her brother to the room. When she got there, Tony was getting two glasses from the cupboard, along with a bottle of scotch and some ice from the fridge. He placed them in the counter.

Isabelle looked exited, "So, big brother, you finally giving me scotch, huh?" She inquired.

Tony laughed, "Are you serious, Izzy? The scotch is for me," He said, moving again to the fridge and taking out a big bottle of Coca-Cola. "Kiddies drink soda." He finished, placing the bottle in the granite counter. Isabelle's face dropped, "Well, for your information, kids my age drink."

Tony opened the bottle, letting it make a loud _PSSSTTT. _"So, if the kids your age throw themselves of a cliff," He poured the soda. "Would you do that too?"

Isabelle sighed desperately; taking the glass away from her brother's offering hand. "I hate you." She took a sip.

"Two more years and I can let you try it; five more and _maybe_ I can let you drink it." Tony stated. Isabelle laughed and turned to leave, but stopped almost immediately, taking a look at the clock hanging in the white wall of the kitchen.

_10:30 am_

"Dude, don't you have a meeting like at eleven o'clock?" Isabelle asked, looking at Tony. He was still wearing his pajama sweatpants and a black _Guns N' Roses _t-shirt, being a Sunday and apparently having nothing to do, Tony decided to be a good older brother and help Izzy with her homework so she didn't have to pass such a terrible Monday the next day. But he forgot about the seemingly important meeting he had, and Izzy's reminder had detonated a 'panic bomb' inside Tony. He froze mid-sip, alarmed and widened eyes glancing at the clock on the wall.

_10:31 am_

He put the unfinished glass of scotch in the counter and then started running to his room at the other side of the Stark Mansion.

"FUCK!" He yelled as he ran.

Isabelle then decided to follow her exasperated half-sibling into his immense room and then into his walk-in closet, finding him trying to (and miserably failing) put his tie.

"Do you think I should go with you?" Isabelle asked, walking to him and taking the tie from his hands, making a perfect knot. Tony nodded.

"Be quick." He said and she took off to her room across the hall and into her walk-in closet, taking a fresh new pair of underwear and her favorite outfit, black jeans, white sandals, a white V-neck shirt and a red blazer as fast as she could. Then she took off her pajamas and threw on all of her clothes rapidly and putting the accessories she left on her bedside table the night before, dashing out of her room before she realized she forgot to put on at least a little bit of make-up. _'Fuck it.' _She thought, and ran to the living room where her brother was waiting already dressed.

"You still look like you woke up." He protested.

"I know; Pepper can help me with that. I forgot the make-up. Now hurry, it's…" Isabelle looked at her watch, "Fuck! It's 11:50! Get your ass in the car!"

The pair of siblings ran to Tony's black convertible and as soon as Isabelle closed the door the car sped off the mansion.

* * *

**December the 24****th****, 2004**

Isabelle looked at the boxes in front of her, most of them containing her possessions; then looked at the three suitcases containing her clothes (well, most of her wardrobe would remain in her room). She smiled at the room devoid of the joy it once had, but now was packed in those boxes, ready to leave as soon as the holidays were over. She had finished home schooling a bit earlier than planned, having a higher intellect than most kids. So Tony made plans for Izzy to attend college a semester earlier, and she agreed. But now she was having second thoughts about her decision. She leaned on the wall and felt a tear roll on her cheek, wiping it immediately.

Tony opened the door to her room; he was wearing his classic black tuxedo.

"Izzy? Why are you still here? You're being missed down there." He said, finally realizing she had tears in her cheeks. He closed the door and walked over to the other side of the room, hugging her automatically. She sobbed finally.

"What happened to you?"

"I'm afraid, Tony. I don't want to go." She cried.

Tony felt a wave of feelings invading his heart. "But you wanted to go! You said it last month…"

"Things can change in a month!" She sobbed, burying her face in his neck. Tony tried to soothe her cries.

"I don't feel like I'm ready, I don't want to leave."

"Well…" Tony said after a minute, "I can arrange your entrance to the MIT, ya know… Pull a few strings, so you can enter the other semester. But you only have until then, ok?" He stroked her hair, knowing it would calm her down, and when he felt her breathing even, he let go of the embrace.

Isabelle looked up to her brother –not much, since their height only differed by two inches- and whispered a faintly audible 'thank you' that only he could hear.

"Now," Tony said, "I think you should retouch your make-up; you look like a raccoon."

Isabelle giggled softly, wiping the remaining tears off her face, "Ok, I'll be back in a second." She said, and went to her bathroom.

"Don't take too long," Tony said as he walked to the door of her room, opening it when he grabbed the doorknob, "I'll be downstairs… Partying." He said and closed the door shut.

As he walked down the stairs he started thinking: he didn't have the same opportunities that Izzy has now, when he was young, he was sent to a boarding school, and when he turned seventeen (around the time Izzy was born), he graduated the MIT at the top of his class. He regretted it though, knowing that he couldn't get that stage of his childhood and adolescence back, (and even more so with his daddy issues), but he turned out fine, didn't he?

Even though, he wanted his sister to have the childhood that he didn't, so he slowed the pace of her classes; he homeschooled her because:

a) He didn't trust the public system.

b) He thought private schools were for bratty kids.

c) He loathed boarding schools.

That way he could keep track of what she was learning, and he could guide her to the right path to take. Ever since both of them discovered Isabelle's ability with mathematics and electronics, Tony knew he would be the one mentoring her.

A couple of months ago, though, the MIT expressed interest in her, and rewarded her with a scholarship. Isabelle was thrilled with the idea of going to college, as she hadn't had many friends, the only friends she had were the workers at Stark Industries, Pepper and JARVIS; and none of them were her age.

But apparently, Isabelle had pressed the same panic button Tony pressed when he was sent to the boarding school.

And he would do whatever it took to not let her suffer the way he did.


End file.
